Vitani's Dare
by Agent Ninety-Nine
Summary: Vitani is jealous of her brother's friendship with the princess of Pride Rock, so she cooks up a scheme to get them both in trouble...
1. Prologue

The three lion cubs lay on their backs in the dry grass, flanks heaving after a wild game of chase. One, the male, was a dark brown with the beginnings of a glossy black mane sprouting between his ears. The girl idly playing with his tail was a startlingly pretty young lioness with a golden coat. The third cub had a scruffy fringe that hung over her dark-circled eyes. She was watching the other two with an expression of mild contempt. 

Kovu half-sat and twisted his neck to look at his adventurous sister. "Hey Vitani, what shall we play next?" 

Vitani jumped up, narrowing her eyes. "Fighting!" She pounced on her brother, pushing him back down to the ground. Kiara, their friend, backed away. 

"I don't want to fight," she said in a low voice. Vitani jumped off Kovu's chest and looked her up and down scornfully. 

"You're such a pussy, _Princess_!" she sneered. 

"Don't call my friend a pussy!" growled Kovu, scrambling up. Vitani stood her ground. 

"Well, you're one too Kovu! Kiara, you're gonna be a Queen when you grow up, right? And Kovu's going to be King." 

Kiara looked impressed. "You're gonna be a King, Kovu? Of the Outlands?" 

Kovu looked uncomfortable. "Um, yeah. Something like that." He shot a dirty look at Vitani, who ignored it. 

"So you got to be _brave_! Right now neither of you's fit to rule a termite mound!" 

"I'll show you who's fit to rule!" Kovu yelled, rushing at Vitani. Kiara shuffled her paws uncomfortably. Maybe her father had been right when he said Outlanders were fierce, quarrelsome animals. Her two friends, and their big brother Nuka, always seemed to be fighting about something. 

There was a flurry of snaps and snarls, and a cloud of dust rose around the fighting cubs. When it cleared Vitani had pinned her brother to the ground. 

"Ha!" she said triumphantly, flicking her tail. Kovu pouted; he always wanted to appear his best in front of Kiara, and now he was dirty and beaten. Vitani craned over to look at him upside-down. 

"If you two want to prove you can lead a pride, I dare you to spend the night in the Elephant Graveyard!" 


	2. Appointment in the Savannah

"The...the Elephant Graveyard?" Kovu repeated timidly. Kiara tilted her head, puzzled. 

"Yah, that's right." Vitani smirked. "With all the creepy bones and stuff. I heard it's haunted! Oh, and the hyenas sometimes come back at night, too. But that won't be a problem for a coupla royal cubs like you guys." 

Kovu hesitated. He could barely remember the fierce hyenas who had shared his babyhood home and eventually turned against the old king, Scar, but he knew he never wanted to see one again. Then he looked at Vitani's expression. Her dark lids were almost closed over her yellow eyes and she was grinning lopsidedly, white teeth visible under her sneering muzzle. Lazily she poked her tongue out at her brother. 

"Course, if you're too _scared_..."   
That did it. Kovu jumped up onto a rock and puffed his chest out. "I'm _not_ scared! I'm going to be King and I'm gonna prove it! Kiara, are you in?" He unsheathed his small claws and growled. 

"Yeah Princess, do you dare?" Vitani asked dangerously. The female cub silently shook her head, her jaws clenched.   
"Kiara's scared!"   
"I am not! My father told me that being brave isn't about _looking_ for trouble, and it's stupid and wrong to put yourself and your friends in danger." With that, Kiara turned on her heel and began to stalk away, her pink nose in the air. 

"Do you do everything your daddy tells you?" Vitani jeered after her. 

Kiara looked back sadly at her two friends; the only cubs of her own age she had to play with, but whom Simba had expressly forbidden her to see. 

"Not always," she said quietly, "but perhaps I should." 

* * * * *

"Kiara?" 

Kiara looked up from the waterhole with a start. 

"Kovu! What are you doing in the Pridelands? If my dad catches you..." 

The brown cub stepped out of his hiding-place and crouched in front of Kiara, looking at the ground.   
"I just wanted to say sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have tried to drag you into Vitani's dumb dare. I mean, you're a Princess. It would be stupid to risk your neck. And besides, you're a girl..." 

Kiara glared at him, her brown eyes flashing. Kovu expected another lecture, but he wasn't prepared for what she was going to say: 

"Is that so? Well you go back and tell Vitani we're _taking_ that dare. Tonight." 

"Wh-wha'?" Kovu blinked, his mouth hanging open. 

"I'll meet you an hour after sunset at the edge of the Pridelands." 

There was a rustle in the bushes, the sound of a clumsily confident animal who has every right to be where he is.   
"Oh Princess Ki-AAAAA-raaaaaa!"   
"That's Pumbaa! Quick Kovu, you have to go. I'll see you tonight!" Kiara whispered, shoving her friend back into the tall grass as the warthog galloped up. 

"Hi Princess! Who were you talkin' to?" Pumbaa asked, his small eyes twinkling.   
"Oh...er...nobody..."   
"Aww. I had invisible friends when I was your age too. You must be feeling lonely."   
Kiara nodded eagerly, seizing the excuse.   
"Wanna come and play with me and Timon? C'mon!" 

He thundered off, wagging his ridiculous tail and yelling for his meerkat friend at the top of his lungs. Kiara turned to the waving clump of grasses. 

"_Tonight_!" she hissed, and bounded away. 


	3. Grave Matters

The Pridelands looked different at night. The noises and scents were strange, as nocturnal creatures were about. Owls whooped from above, and insects clicked and chittered in the grass. Kiara padded silently along the familiar trail, her ears twitching at every sound. What had seemed a great idea at high noon seemed less so in the dark. 

But she was a Princess. And she was brave. Head held high, she marched purposefully towards the tree that marked the border of her father's territory. Good - she was early. She would lie in wait for Kovu and... 

"_Aiiiiiiiiee!!_" 

A dark shape dropped on Kiara from above and bowled her over. Screaming, she lashed out with all four paws at the unseen menace. The creature leaped off and sat a few feet away. 

"You're dead, Kiara! I pounced ya!" 

"_Kovu_! Don't _do_ that!" 

Kovu licked his paw smugly. "You wouldn't last five minutes in the Outlands with reflexes like that. Me, I've been training ever since I could walk - argh!" 

Kiara jumped forward, caught him off balance and sent him sprawling on his back. 

"Oh yeah?" 

"Yeah!" 

They scowled at each other, lashing their tails. Then Kovu grinned. "I guess we're both brave enough. Let's go!" 

The way to the Elephant Graveyard was rocky and steep. The foliage soon petered out, leaving only sand and stones. Scratch marks on a dead tree-trunk and scattered bones spoke of past hyena occupation. Kovu bristled and looked about him constantly. Kiara followed meekly; she was a stranger to the place where her father had nearly lost his life. 

"That's it." Kovu whispered. Two great pillars of grey stone, leaning haphazardly, marked the entrance. They could see nothing beyond but darkness. 

The legend of elephants sensing their approaching death and making their way to an ancient graveyard is as old as the savannah itself. The location of such graveyards is a secret never told, handed down the generations in racial memory. Even the elephant does not know of it until instinct drives him there in his last days. But the vultures, the hyenas and other scavengers had sniffed out this particular graveyard, and so the elephants had abandoned it for other grounds. Death should be a peaceful passing from one life into the next, not a time to fight off impatient meat-eaters. 

The two cubs shrank into each other as they crossed the threshold. Here the light was shut out by walls of cold rock and a roof of twisted thorn branches. Giant skeletons, picked clean and scattered by scavengers and time, cast weird shadows. The wind whistled through empty ribcages, and a skull that could have held both cubs with room to spare gaped blankly at the intruders. 

Kiara shivered, not entirely because of the sudden drop in temperature. 

"Kovu...I don't like it here." 

"Scared?" Kovu asked teasingly, though his own fur was sticking up on end. 

Kiara frowned. "Not scared exactly, but...I feel this is a bad place. Bad things happened here. I can sense it." 

"Quit trying to spook me, Kiara, it won't work! There's no such thing as ghosts," Kovu snorted. 

The other cub suddenly froze, one paw raised, and swivelled her golden ears. 

"Stop messing around!" Kovu said, sounding uncertain. 

"I'm not - there's something here!" she whispered urgently. Then they both heard it - a low, deep laugh. 


	4. Night Terrors

The two cubs listened intently. Each thought they could hear some creature breathing, but they couldn't work out which direction the sound came from. Kiara pressed herself to the wall and retreated, only to hear a bubbling growl directly behind her. 

She ran to Kovu and both scampered the other way, but a heavy footfall ahead of them brought them screeching to a halt. They clung to each other, looking wildly around. 

"Where are you?" called Kiara bravely. 

"Yeah! Come out and fight!" yelled Kovu, putting his paw around her. Their answer was a chuckle that started quietly and built up to a roar of humourless, wild laughter. The sound echoed off the rock and the old bones, seeming to come from all around. 

"AH ha ha ha ha HAAAH hah ha ha HAAH..." The earth floor trembled. 

"RUN!" screeched Kovu, and the pair made a dash for the entrance. But before they could pass under the stone pillars something sprang from the top of the gateway and blocked their path. 

The large animal before them was blacker than the night itself. Light glimmered in its yellow eyes and off its teeth, which were bared and sharp. It was a cat, but no lion. The muzzle was narrower and the shape more compact. Muscles bulged on its sleek torso and broad shoulders. A long, thick tail swayed behind it like a snake about to strike. 

"Good evening," it purred in a voice like midnight. "What brings such small creatures to my lair?" 

"I..." 

"Uh..." Kovu and Kiara trembled. 

"I'm waiting. I feel this could be interesting." The big cat smiled. 

"My sister dared us to spend the night in the Elephant Graveyard," Kovu said sulkily. 

"Really? You have an irresponsible sister. This place is very, very dangerous." 

Kiara spoke up. "What are you?" she asked boldly. 

"I am the night death, the black stalker, the doom of the herds. More specifically, I am Banbe the panther. And you are?" 

"Princess Kiara of Pride Rock," Kiara said, jutting her lower jaw out and looking as fierce as she could. "And my father is King Simba, head of a mighty pride." 

"I am honoured, your majesty," Banbe said smoothly. "Your Highness and her loyal retainer are most welcome here." A long pink tongue moistened his teeth and black lips. "A most welcome - treat!" 

As he pounced, Kiara and Kovu scattered one to each side. Black forelegs reached after them but the cubs, driven by fear, darted out of reach. They looked at each other and nodded. Making for the giant elephant skull, they each leaped through an eye-socket and crouched in the dead dome, trembling. 

Banbe covered the distance in a single leap and thrust a paw through the left eyehole. The cubs flattened themselves against the back of the skull, Kiara gasping as a clawed toe parted the fur on her chest. The paw thrashed around their enclosure for a few minutes, then withdrew, and the pair could feel their shelter shaking as the panther attempted to lift it. At length he gave up and his muzzle appeared through one of the sockets. 

"Ah well, it seems you have defeated me this time." He grinned at them. "Good luck with your dare. It is time for me to hunt now." The sinuous body wound past the litter of bones and into the open, and the peeking cubs saw how long and lithe the panther was. Banbe turned. "I shall return after dawn, and if you are still here, I shall kill you. Have a good night." 

Kovu and Kiara looked at each other. "He was...polite," Kiara ventured. Kovu shook his head angrily. "No he wasn't, he was toying with us. I've seen King Scar give a look like that. It says, I could kill you easily but you're not worth bothering with." He bristled. 

"Oh Kovu, let's go home." 

"No way!" the older cub said obstinately. "We're seeing this dare through if it _kills_ us!" 

* * * * *

"Nala, have you seen Kiara?" Simba asked, pacing up and down.   
"I think she's with Timon and Pumbaa, why?"   
"I just had a bad feeling for a second." He shook out his mane. "Think I'll just check on them." 

He had a much worse feeling when he discovered the warthog and meerkat curled up together fast asleep, with no sign of Kiara.   
"TIMON! PUMBAA!" he roared. The two sprang up, screaming, and crashed into each other as they attempted to escape. Timon recovered first.   
"Oh, it's you, kid. What's all the noise?"   
"Where's my daughter?" growled Simba.   
"She's right he- oh. Guess we fell asleep. Sorry," Pumbaa said sheepishly.   
"Yeah, the little tyke, I mean Princess, really wore us out!" Timon nodded vigorously.   
"She did, did she?" rumbled Simba. "Hmm." 

Pumbaa and Timon looked at each other and began to back away on tiptoe.   
"We'll just..."   
"...go see if she's..."   
"...at the waterhole!" The two fled. 

Simba stood atop Pride Rock, roaring to summon his pride. The lions emerged from the sleeping-den, blinking and confused. 

"Princess Kiara is lost," he announced. Someone murmured 'what, _again_?', but the king ignored it. 

"Nala, take the lionesses and spread out to cover the Pridelands. Make sure you check the gorge. Zazu, you can travel the furthest - I want you to fly out over the desert." 

"I'm not an _owl_, Sire," grumbled the normally obedient hornbill, who was always cranky at night. 

"I don't care!" snarled Simba. "My daughter is missing! Go!" 

The lionesses grouped around Nala, who began sorting them out. She was not yet as anxious as Simba, but she wanted her naughty cub found as soon as possible. When she had dispatched everyone she padded over to her mate and licked his muzzle. 

"I'm sure she hasn't gone far, love. Are you going to stay here in case she comes back?" 

Before answering, Simba gazed for a moment out into the darkness to the west; the direction of the Outlands.   
"No; I'm going to follow a hunch of mine."   
He bounded away. 

* * *

A/N: Banbe is my char. You can see a pic of him at fanart.lionking.org. Everyone else belongs to Disney. 


	5. Earth-Pig

"Let's get out of this stupid skull," said Kovu, waggling his rear as he prepared to spring. But Kiara stopped him by standing on his tail. 

"I think there's still something out there. Listen!" 

Sure enough they heard scuffling nearby, and a strange snorting noise. 

"H-hello?" Kovu called. 

"_Kovu_!" Kiara clapped a paw over his mouth. The noise stopped for a few seconds, then resumed with a grunt. 

Kovu was restless, though, and unable to stay cooped up any longer. He poked his head and front paws out. "Who's out here? Are you gonna kill us?" he demanded. 

"I kill thousands every night," came a snuffly voice. Somehow it didn't sound as though its owner was capable of such feats of murder, however. Kovu's curiosity got the better of him and he slipped out of his hiding-place, closely followed by Kiara. 

They saw a creature that could have come from another planet. Hunch-backed and hairless, it blinked at them from tiny black eyes set over a long snout that wiggled and twitched. Its short legs ended in nasty-looking yellow claws. 

Kovu chuckled. "Oh boy! An earth-pig! Now we'll have some fun!" 

"A what?" Kiara wrinkled her nose and studied the creature. She'd never seen one before, but she knew it must be an aardvark. Now that she looked at it, Kovu's word seemed exactly right. The little beady eyes and whiffly nose reminded her of...Pumbaa! She laughed out loud. 

The aardvark shuffled round to look at her, seeming offended. Just then Kovu leaped at it as if trying to knock it over. But he was far smaller than the aardvark, which, set low to the ground, was very hard to budge. He cannoned off its hide and fell in a growling heap. 

Kiara put a paw to her mouth to restrain a giggle. "Kovu, what are you _doing_?" 

The other cub scrambled up. "I've seen Mom deal with these things," he told her. "You gotta tip them over and scoop out the insides - like a calabash." By now he was pressing his shoulders against the aardvark's side with all his might, eyes squeezed shut with the effort and teeth clenched. The heavy aardvark looked mildly surprised. 

"Eww Kovu! That's disgusting!" Kiara stuck out her tongue. "Why do you want to kill it? You're not hungry are you?" 

"Yes I am, actually," Kovu lied. He had decided that making a kill was the only way to impress his friend, and he was determined to do it. He gave a shove, and the aardvark slid a few inches across the floor. Kovu looked at it with loathing - the ugly thing didn't even have the decency to tip over on demand. 

"Could you please not do that?" the aardvark asked politely.   
"Please stop, Kovu," added Kiara.   
An obstinate look came into Kovu's eyes. "Bah! It's only an earth-pig - what use is it?" 

Kiara giggled. "You don't know much, do you?"   
Kovu hated being mocked. He scowled and flattened his ears. "What's that supposed to mean? Is this about your Circle of Life thing?"   
"As a matter of fact, it is," Kiara said haughtily. "Isn't your brother always complaining that your home's infested with termites?"   
"Yeah, they're really gross." Kovu pulled a face. "But what's that got to do with..."   
Kiara turned to the aardvark. "You said you killed thousands every night. Thousands of what, exactly?"   
It blinked. "Why, termites, of course!" 

"See, Kovu?" Kiara said smugly.   
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," he sighed. "Hey, earth-pig - why don't you scoot along to the Outlander dens? They're just crawling with yummy, yummy termites. Watch out for my mom, though, cos she'll eat you."   
"Er...thank you," said the aardvark, sounding very confused. It took a last short-sighted squint at the two lion cubs and waddled away, its long pink tongue hanging out of its mouth in a tight coil. 

Kovu shook his head. "I thought this place was meant to be deserted! I wonder what else we're going to run into?"   
"At least we haven't seen any ghosts."   
"_Yet_." said Kovu in a deep, throaty voice.   
"Oh, shut up!" 

* * * * *

Nuka ambled towards home, his skin twitching a little at the persistent termites. He was feeling cheerful for once, and even singing softly to himself. "Someday big brave Nuka, you will be a king...yeeek! Mother!" 

His eyes bulged as a bristling Zira pounced on top of him, pinning him to the ground and hissing in his ear:   
"_Where's Kovu_?"   
"I dunno! Isn't he with you?"   
She seized his scruff in her teeth and shook him like a cub.   
"Would I be asking if he was?" She leaped off her son. "Idiot. The whole pride is out looking for him and you're here _singing_!"   
Nuka blushed at being overheard. "I'm sorry, Mother."   
"Sorry's not good enough! You're coming with me." Her paw hooked around Nuka's neck and dragged him along. 

"Where - are - we - going?" choked poor Nuka. Zira released him and stared balefully eastwards, towards the Pridelands.   
"He's with Simba's child, I'm sure of it. And when I find them there's going to be trouble." She whipped round. "Vitani - _stay here_!" 

The little tan cub withdrew obediently into the den, only to emerge again as soon as her mother and brother had disappeared round the corner. 

"And miss all the fun? Not likely!" Eyes glinting with mischief, she began to pad stealthily in the older lions' pawprints. 

* * *

A/N: See my aardvark here:  
http://fanart.lionking.org/imgarchive/FanArt/Agent/Aardvark.jpg  
Cute, no? 


	6. Search Parties

"It _must_ be almost dawn!"   
"Look at the sky, silly! See where the stars are. It's hours till morning." 

Kovu sighed. "I'm bored. And cold. And hungry." He lay with his head on his paws, sulking. 

"You want to go home?" Kiara asked.   
"No way! Vitani'll think we got scared and ran away." He put on his most obstinate look, brows knitted over his green eyes. 

Kiara sighed and curled up in a tight ball, conserving heat. She clasped her tail in her forelegs and put the end of it in her mouth. Despite the cold and Kovu's grumbling to himself, she soon drifted off to sleep. 

* * * * *

Simba paced across the desert. He was not as massive as his father Mufasa, but he was strong and confident, and his great stride covered the distance quickly. He longed to break into a run, but knew he would soon tire and gain nothing by his sprint. At a steady tread he was more likely to spot any clues to his daughter's whereabouts than if he dashed about like a frightened antelope. 

All his senses were active as he went. His eyes, gleaming in the dark, constantly scanned the surroundings; like all the hunting animals he was quick to spot movement even at the very edges of his vision, though stationary objects were less clear. His mouth hung slightly open as his tongue aided his nostrils in seeking the scent of Kiara. His rounded, fuzzy ears swivelled to trap the noises of the night in their curving folds, and he even seemed more aware than usual of the way the earth felt beneath his toes. 

In his heart, he was sure he knew where the Princess had gone. She was his daughter, after all. She had the same curiosity and foolhardy daring that he had had at that age. The urge to learn and explore was strong in her, and she had a rebellious nature that reacted fiercely against anyone telling her what she couldn't, shouldn't or mustn't do. Unless some predator had snatched her away - and none of the pride had noticed an intruder on their land in weeks - Kiara was without a doubt exploring. And unless Simba was much mistaken, she had gone to the most forbidden place of all: the Outlands. 

The two prides, Simba's and the offshoot Outlanders, endured an uneasy coexistence. The border of the two territories was sharply marked, and any lion who found himself on the wrong side was inviting death. Simba had pronounced that he and his would kill any Outland lion, from newborn cub to hoary elder, they encountered in the Pridelands. Zira had swiftly issued her reply: any Pride Rock animal caught beyond their boundary would meet the same fate. 

Now Simba realised just how much Mufasa must have worried about his precious only son. Without realising what he was doing, he began to growl deep in his chest. 

"Keep her safe, Father. Father, help me find her," he prayed.   
Immediately the light wind shifted, and on it Simba smelled the odour of lions. 

* * * * *

"If Kovu is lost, all my hopes for the future are gone," Zira muttered, her paws thumping the ground as she stalked. "Scar's heir. Destined to take on Simba. He must be kept safe." 

Nuka, several paces behind her, rolled his eyes. His jaws snapped as he mimicked his mother's words. 

"_Did you say something?_" Zira demanded, swinging round.   
"N-no, Mother!"   
"Good! Now keep up. We must find the boy." 

Zira was not only worried about Kovu for the sake of the Pride Rock throne. He was her favourite son, her favourite of all her cubs. She might bully him, moulding him by force into the wicked fighter she needed, she might push him to the limit of his small frame with her strict training, but she loved him dearly. There were times, looking into his innocent green eyes, when the taut coil of hatred and rage within her was loosened briefly, her madness subsided, and she was simply a lioness, a female whose cubs were her whole reason for existence. Sometimes he was the only thing in the world that made her life bearable. If she lost Kovu, she felt she would sink down into despair and insanity forever. 

"Mother..."   
"_What?_"   
"We're heading towards the Pridelands."   
"I know that, idiot! If that's where Kovu is, that's where we must go. Unless you're afraid?"   
Nuka shook his head doubtfully. Zira tensed and broke into a run.   
"I heard something! Come on!"   
Cowering, Nuka followed. 

* * * * *

"No, no, go west! West!" Vitani muttered under her breath as she trotted silently after her mother and brother. "Oh, this is going to be the _best_. What a showdown! We'll see who's the favourite cub when Mother finds out Kovu's run off with the Princess!" 

Her eyes glowed with malice. Fond as she was of her twin, she recognised and resented her mother's favouritism. Kovu had always been able to get away with anything, while Vitani felt Zira's hard paw whenever she stepped out of line. Which was often. She angered easily and her tongue sometimes ran away with her. Besides, she loved to make trouble and mischief for its own sake. Chaos and confusion were what she liked. Being such a small creature, and overshadowed by Scar's heir, it was the only way she could wield power over other lions. 

But above all she liked to watch from out of harm's way as whatever she had started escalated into panic and misunderstanding, with the pride roaring and snapping at each other. And this would be a good one, she thought as she watched Zira searching wildly while Nuka complained and quivered behind. Safe in the shadows, Vitani grinned with glee and capered like a monkey. 

Though they were nearly at the Outland border, Vitani knew this area well - far better than her mother suspected. She skipped confidently along, not as afraid in the darkness as a small cub should be. Hugging her cunning plot to herself, chuckling under her breath, her eyes and ears were closed to the sounds and sights around her - signals that should have acted as a warning. 

Then it was too late. Vitani's ear twitched as a sound hit it, and she half-turned. As she did, something rushed past her close and quick enough to ruffle the fur along her side. She dodged away and instantly broke into a run. 

She had only seen her attacker for a moment, just long enough to get the impression of a blunt muzzle full of teeth and two ears like round leaves. An African wild dog. And there were more behind her - she could sense them now, hear their footfalls and ragged breathing. They hunted in groups, like the lions, and could bring down a buffalo. 

All this information came to her in a second, her brain processing it while her muscles moved her in an adrenaline-spurred burst. No need to look back; she knew what was behind her. 

Vitani ran. It was an instinctive flight born of terror. A nightmare run in which her short legs could never drive her fast enough to get away. Her quick dodge threw the clumsy creatures for a minute, for they were many and took a while to change direction. But in a few long strides the dogs surrounded her, three or four on each side. Although the nearest occasionally reached out to snap at her, they made no attempt to bring her down. They would bound effortlessly on those long legs until the cub fell exhausted, as if she were some silly deer or zebra. 

No way! Vitani wasn't going to go out like that. Hadn't her mother always told her hyenas and wild dogs didn't have a scrap of brain in their heads? Whereas she, she knew, was a smart little cub. Zira had told her that too, not always approvingly. 

Her eye caught a slight movement off to the left, and she spared a quick glance. It was a stunted tree, poking up from the soil. The shifting wind had whipped the branches for a moment. Could dogs climb? She thought not. Could Vitani gain the tree? This seemed doubtful too. 

At once Vitani dropped to the ground. It was a technique she often used in play with Kovu. When he was about to catch her, she would suddenly stop. More often than not her brother flew right over her and went head over heels in the dirt. 

It worked on this occasion too. The dogs had been expecting a gradual slowing, a few stumbles, and the inevitable collapse. Vitani's halt took them by surprise. The huge wild dog which had been on her tail tried to stop, skidded, and fell over the cub, clipping her with its paw in passing. It fell into one of the others and the two rolled, snapping and growling. Now there was an opening to her left, and Vitani leaped up and towards her goal. 

She sprinted towards the tree, the dog pack already recovered and gaining fast. Head high, mouth wide, she ran so hard that her back feet hit the ground in the prints of her forepaws. Shrieks and snarls of fury followed her, but Vitani wasted no energy in crying out. Just as the leading dog made a grab for her tail she sprang for the tree trunk and scrambled up it, her frantic claws dislodging bark and insects onto the dogs below. 

_Ha! Dumb dogs!_ she thought. Then: _I'm trapped._


	7. Interlude: The Dream

Kiara opened her eyes and saw that it was light - well, as light as this gloomy place could get. Bands and pools of shadow replaced the consistent black, and somewhere away from the graveyard birds sang. 

"Wake up Kovu! It's morning! We can go home...Kovu?" She looked around for her friend, but the spot where he had been was empty.   
"Did he sneak off without me? The little..." She broke off as she saw a lion cub enter between the stone pillars, and was about to dash and meet him when she saw it wasn't Kovu. 

This cub was bright gold, even in this dim light, and walked with a cheeky swagger. A quiff between his black-rimmed ears gave him a raffish appearance. Behind him came a second cub, a pale-coated female who looked admiringly at her companion with dancing green eyes. 

"Who are you?" Kiara asked, but the others didn't seem to hear.   
"We could get in big trouble!" the girl cub whispered, sounding as though she was pleased at the idea. 

Kiara giggled. So the strangers, too, had come here without permission, looking for adventure. Cool! Maybe they could be friends? 

Just then a blue bird with a large orange beak swooped into the cave and landed in front of the cubs. 

"Zazu?" Kiara wondered. 

As the hornbill proceeded to tear the cubs off a strip and chivvy them out of the graveyard, Kiara put a paw over her mouth to prevent another giggle from escaping. That was Zazu all right! But who were these strange cubs he was hounding? There was something familiar about them, though she knew she had never seen them before. 

Suddenly Kiara noticed a pair of eyes gleaming from behind an elephant skull, and heard a low snicker of pure evil. She tried to yell, but no sound came. Her paws seemed stuck to the ground, and she could only watch wide-eyed as three spotted hyenas bounded out of hiding and began a cruel game with the lion cubs. 

She shrank back, afraid she would be discovered as the hyenas pursued their prey in and out of the bones, hooting and shrieking to each other and cracking jokes. One in particular terrified her, with its crooked gait and mad, rolling eyes. 

For a moment it looked as though the two cubs and the hornbill would escape. Indeed, Zazu could easily have flown up and out of danger, and as Kiara watched him stick by his charges she regretted all the times she had teased the pompous little bird. But as they neared safety the girl cub slipped and slithered all the way down a pile of bones, almost into the jaws of the hyenas. Kiara clenched her paws as the other cub came skittering down after her and whacked one of the hyenas across the face with a small paw. The pair took off again, dodging into a small cave. They were trapped, and there was nothing Kiara could do. 

She could hear one of the cubs trying to roar, a sad little mewing cry which sent the hyenas into a frenzy of hysterics. Kiara's own mouth opened in sympathy, but no sound came. Then there was a sound like a river in flood, a tumult of noise which echoed around the hollow canyon. The biggest lion Kiara had ever seen was standing in the entrance, mouth wide and eyes blazing. His appearance panicked the hyenas, who fell over themselves to prove they had meant no harm to the cubs and slunk off into the shadows. Kiara let out her breath in a shuddering sigh. 

"Let's go home," the lion said to the cubs in a quieter voice, though his power and anger still showed through. As the trio padded away, Zazu flapping overhead, Kiara heard him speak again, faintly: "Come on, Simba." 

Simba. _Dad_? Kiara blinked and rubbed her eyes with her paws. When she opened them, lions and hyenas were gone. It was still dark, and Kovu was by her side, one hindleg twitching. She shook him awake and he sleepily opened his eyes, drooling a little and whimpering. 

"Wassit?"   
"Kovu, I don't think we should stay here. I think something bad happened here, once."   
"No kidding. Things come here to _die_." Kovu said grouchily, his eyelids starting to close again.   
"But I saw..."   
"You scared of ghosts, Kiara?"   
She looked at him angrily, then her face crumpled and she cowered down. "Yes." she said softly. 

Kovu relented at once. "It's OK, Kiara. You're safe with me," he said in such a grown-up manner that Kiara had to smile. He wrapped a brown foreleg around her and drew her close to him. He was warm and fuzzy, and Kiara felt sleep overwhelming her as she snuggled close to his side. 


	8. The Lions Meet

Simba slipped into a loping run, the muscles sliding easily under his golden hide. Soft paws thumping the ground, he made straight for the Outland border. A hunk of granite shaped like a hippo marked the boundary. Drawing a deep breath, he bounded up to the rock - and straight into another lion coming round it the other way. 

Both rolled on their backs, growling with alarm, then twisted quickly to rise and face each other. 

"Simba!" spat the lioness, wild eyes narrowing. "Zira." the king replied in a deep rumble. They crouched and hissed like a pair of alleycats, circling each other. 

"You're in my territory." Zira informed Simba, her tongue flicking out to moisten white teeth. 

"You're in mine." Simba answered quietly, indicating Zira's hind paws, which were clearly in Prideland bounds. 

"We both know the rules," Zira smirked as Nuka came crashing out of the undergrowth.   
"Here I am, Mother! Wow, is that Simba?"   
"And it looks like you're outnumbered." The lioness took a step forward. "Shall we?" 

Simba roared mightily. "Damn you Zira, where's my daughter?" he burst out, raking the soil with his claws. Zira looked surprised, then her expression changed to one of deadly anger. 

"_Where's my son_?" 

The lions clinched. 

"Go on Mother! Get him in the guts! Yeah!" Nuka danced about on the sidelines, unwilling to get involved. He had reached his adult size now, but it was distinctly unimpressive next to Simba and he had little experience of fighting. He would have been the lowest-ranked creature of his pride if he hadn't had Zira to protect him. Nonetheless he had a bloodthirsty nature, and the spectacle of a good battle excited him. 

"He's gonna strike! Guard your throat! Ohboy!" He sucked in his breath as Simba rowled and swiped a paw at Zira, but the lioness feinted to one side and countered with a long slash down the male's ribs. The next moment they had locked together and Nuka had to leap to one side as they rolled towards him in a spitting ball of fury. Zira was trying for a grip on Simba's throat, while he with his greater weight was attempting to pin her. Back and forth they struggled, tearing up the scrubby bushes and spattering the ground with drops of blood. 

Simba could hardly see. His mane was wet with blood and hung across his eyes. Zira was a greyish blur, writhing away from him like smoke and returning like lightning to rip and tear. He pounced blindly, and trapped her hindquarters under his paws. His teeth sank in as though she were a gazelle or antelope rather than his fellow lion. Zira screamed, and whipped round to pierce his nose with flint-sharp claws. Simba jumped away and the two stood watching each other; flanks heaving, tails lashing. 

Nuka saw his chance. "Gotcha!" He sailed through the air with all four paws aimed at Simba, face turned to his mother and wearing a triumphant smirk. Simba grunted and swatted him in midair, his eyes never straying from Zira. The young lion turned a whimpering somersault and crashed backwards into a thorn bush with his legs sticking straight up. 

"Heh. Hehehe," he said, before his eyes rolled back and he passed out. 

Both lions were cut and bruised, but neither was badly injured. Simba, panting, licked his lips.   
"We can end this now," he said. "You have the chance to walk away." 

Zira snorted. "So the mighty king is backing down? Couldn't take the heat, eh, Simba? No match for a poor widow lioness?" 

Simba's eyes glowed red and he bared his teeth.   
"That's _it_, Zira! Only one of us leaves here alive."

He crouched to spring; Zira tensed to meet him. Then a wailing shriek met their ears - the sound of a lion cub in distress. 


	9. Found!

_It's the last chapter! Not a very good ending IMO. Reviews? _

* * *

They were shoulder to shoulder as they ran in the direction of the noise, united in parental instinct. A commotion of barks and yelps quickened their run, and they homed in on a gang of wild dogs who were circling a stunted baobab. 

Simba drew in his breath as he saw the small shape of a lion cub clinging in the lower branches, inches above the highest leaps of the dogs. But before he could move Zira cried "_Vitani!_" and sprang into the middle of the pack. 

Strong as she was, and fierce with mother-love, there were too many for her. Zira sank down under the weight of the hairy dog-bodies, invisible to Simba save for an occasional glimpse of a flailing paw. 

Nuka came limping up, shaking his head and pawing at the thorns peppering his rear. His eyes widened as he took in the scene. 

"Tani?" Crouching submissively, he turned to Simba. "She's my sister, Mister. Do something - please?" 

Simba's roar shook the earth. He was ashamed, now, that he had hesitated for even a moment. A cub, a lion cub, was in mortal danger! His heavy forefeet scooped dog after dog off its paws, and if any tried to return to the attack it was clouted hard enough to change its mind. Zira, freed, lifted her head feebly to growl, whether at Simba or the wild dogs no one could guess. 

When the pack was scattered - some howling away across the plain, some lying wounded in the dust - Simba looked up at the frightened cub who stared at him with huge yellow eyes. She was much the same age as his daughter, though lean and hard-looking beyond her months. 

"You're safe now. Come on down," he told her. But she still clung to the branch, too shocked to move, so Simba stood on his hindlegs and gripped her scruff, lifting her to the ground. 

Zira rose shakily to her feet. 

"You've got my daughter. What are you going to do? Kill her?" Her old self was coming back. "It wouldn't matter to me. She's not the important cub." 

"Mother!" said Vitani and Nuka together. Simba huffed. "Every living creature is important, and each has its part to play. If you realised that, Zira, perhaps your home wouldn't be such a bad place." 

Vitani had realised who the big lion must be and was trembling harder than ever. The king bent and licked her between the ears.   
"Don't be scared," he said. "_You're_ not my enemy - yet." 

This was too much for the cub, who ran to Zira with her tail between her legs. But she pushed her daughter away with a small cuff. 

"Where's your brother?" 

Vitani looked at Zira and Simba, and seemed to shrink. She hung her head. 

"Speak up, cub!" A horrible suspicion was dawning on Simba. Vitani looked up at him and gulped. 

"I...Kovu..." 

Nuka nudged his sister. "Spill it, termite!" he whispered, not unkindly. She took a deep breath. 

"Kovu and Kiara are at the Elephant Graveyard. I dared them to spend the night there. I was following Mother to see them get in trouble and the dogs chased me. It's my fault." 

Simba shivered as if a chill wind had touched him. "The Elephant Graveyard?"   
Nuka whistled. "Hyaenas!"   
"Vultures!" gasped Zira.   
"Ghosts!" mewed poor Vitani. 

"Nuka, take Vitani home." Zira briefly licked a scratch on her leg. "I'm going to get Kovu!" She gathered her legs under her and streaked away. 

"She thought I'd kill Vitani...Kiara! If Zira gets there first..." Simba had started running before his brain had processed the thought. 

Muscles straining, Simba plunged along the track that led deeper into the Outlands. Plants grew scarce, and before long only a few tufts of scrubby grass broke through the dry crust of soil. 

He soon overtook the lioness, who had come off badly in the scrap with the wild dogs. But as the shadow of the graveyard fell on him a chill ran along his back and stopped him dead. The place was smaller than he remembered - of course, he had been smaller then - but had lost none of its terror. Faced with the echoing blackness of the cavern, he could only stand trembling. When he was in danger his own father had entered without a moment's thought. Now he was unable to stir although his daughter was in there, in who knew what trouble. 

"Is there a problem, Simba?" Zira had caught up and was looking at him curiously, malice in her eyes. 

"No. No problem." he grunted, trying to persuade his unwilling paws to cross the threshold. 

"Afraid of the dark?" 

"_No!_" 

Zira understood now. Scar, her mate, had told her how he had tricked the young Simba into going to the Elephant Graveyard in the hope that he would be killed by the hyaenas. Poor little cub...and yet. The big male's obvious fear made her feel superior. What a pathetic king, afraid of a heap of bones! Well, she could turn the situation to her advantage. Perhaps grab Kiara before Simba could pull himself together. The great king would have no heir. 

Then something in Zira stirred. Was it - gratitude? Yes. There was a core of goodness in the lioness, long suppressed, which tonight's tumultuous events had brought to the fore. Simba had saved her daughter. She would spare his, for now. 

She lifted a paw as if to pat his shoulder, then lowered it. 

"Let's go get our cubs," she said. 

The adult lions stood blinking in the cavern, eyes adjusting to the deeper darkness. Zira was first to spot the cubs and bounded towards them, alert for any danger. She stopped dead, and Simba, fearing the worst, quickly joined her. 

They stood looking at their children. Kiara and Kovu were curled in a ball together like brother and sister, paws wrapped around each other. Kiara's face was upturned and wore a blissful expression. Kovu's head was so far under his friend's flank it was invisible. Their tails were woven together like vines. 

Zira cleared her throat. "Kovu will be severely punished, of course."   
"So will the Princess." Simba promised grimly. Their eyes met - two relieved parents. Zira shifted her paws.   
"I'm prepared to forget that you violated my territory, Simba. Just this once," she announced grudgingly. Simba gave an indignant snort, then inclined his head gravely.   
"I think it's best we forget this whole incident." he said. The lioness nodded. They parted, glancing shiftily at each other, and began disentangling their cubs. 

Zira grabbed her son roughly by the neck, and he woke with a squeal. But Simba lifted Kiara so gently that she didn't wake all the way back to Pride Rock. 

* * * * *

Kiara awoke to bright sunlight streaming into the sleeping-den she shared with her parents and the rest of the pride. She yawned and stretched out as was her habit, then realised that this was not where she should have woken up. What had happened? Where was Kovu? She rushed outside. 

"Ah, you're awake." Nala, her mother, greeted the cub. Kiara swallowed.   
"Um, yes, Mom."   
"Sit down, sweetheart." With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she obeyed.   
"Your father and I are very disappointed, Kiara." Nala began.   
"I know. I'm sorry."   
"I don't think you realise how worried we were. We didn't know where you were. Anything could have happened. Daddy was beside himself. It was he who brought you back. He went deep into Outlander territory looking for you - he could have been set upon and killed at any moment, you know that. Whatever made you do it?"   
"It - was a dare..." she mumbled, looking at the ground.   
"Kiara, listen closely. You should never take dares. They're silly and dangerous. If you finish one, there'll be another more difficult one ahead of you. It never stops until someone has the courage to say 'No, that's stupid'. Got it?" 

Kiara nodded. It made sense the way her mother told it, but it would be a lot harder in practice to refuse Vitani. Nala, looking at her, raised an eyebrow.   
"And I don't think Vitani will be setting any more dares for a while, so you needn't worry about her." 

Kiara's jaw dropped. Her mother knew about Vitani and Kovu? Nala continued as if she hadn't noticed her daughter's astonishment.   
"Another thing. I never want to hear of your playing with those Outlands cubs again."   
"But _Mom_..." Kiara burst out, then stopped. She had just admitted her guilt. Simba had warned her time and time again about the Outlanders, and she had disobeyed him.   
"Do you understand, Kiara? I never want to _hear_ of it again!" And one sparkling green eye closed in an unmistakable wink. 

Now Kiara recognised the mischievous girl cub who had been with the young Simba in her dream. More astounded than ever, she gave a huge grin and nodded vigorously.   
"You got it, Mom!"   
"Good girl. Your father wants you." She indicated her husband, who was sitting alone at the tip of Pride Rock with his back to them, and lowered her head to whisper in her daughter's ear.   
"Go and take it. You know Daddy's roar is worse than his bite." 

Kiara walked slowly towards her father. She knew she was to be punished, and she was prepared. Simba turned at her approach, his eyes filled with sorrow and anger. Kiara couldn't bear to see him like this. Now she realised what he had been through in his own cubhood, and that he had come to a place he feared to rescue her. She wondered what Mufasa's punishment had been for _his_ cub's disobedience. 

She ran the rest of the way. "Daddy - oh daddy, I'm sorry! I love you so much!" Kiara pressed herself against his warm chest and nuzzled in. She wasn't trying to delay the scolding that was coming her way; she felt she just had to tell him. 

Simba too knew that he must be strict with his daughter and mete out a smack or a grounding, or both. That was the way his father had raised him, and it had in no way diminished his love for Mufasa. Yes, there would be a punishment. But for now he folded Kiara to him and purred his love and gratitude. 

* * * * *

"But you didn't spend the whole night there! Mother came and grabbed you!" 

The three cubs were lounging in the shade, having spent an exhausting hour trying unsuccessfully to trap a rat down by the river. 

"We _won_, Vitani!" Kovu growled. "We were brave and you got caught by wild dogs. So there!" 

"Didja see any ghosts?" Vitani asked, irrepressible even after her experience. Kovu shook his head. "Naw, silly. There's no such thing. Anyway, now _ we_ get to dare _you_ something!" 

"No. That's enough dares." Kiara said, so firmly that they both looked at her in surprise. "Let's just play a game, hmm?" 

Before, Vitani would have said 'Huh! Girly games!'. But now she smiled gratefully at Kiara. 

"OK. You choose!" 


End file.
